Every Day verses Special Event Makeup..The Run Down!

I recently worked on an editorial photoshoot where the model hardly ever wears any makeup. As I finished working on her, and I saw her glance in the mirror I definitely read a little horror in her eyes. It made me smile and I explained my philosophy on makeup that photographs amazing. You have to over due slightly, even for the most natural look. The camera reads things differently. Every day natural makeup is different than special event makeup. Do you really want to look like you have nothing on when your face is going to show up on five hundred instagram photos? I didn’t think so.

We all have our regular makeup routines, right? A little concealer, some bronzer, maybe mascara and we are good to go for the day. But when it comes to makeup for special events, it takes a little more.  Every day makeup can look great, but usually doesn’t last for more than a few hours.  Try these tips, take some pictures and see the results. Simply stunning but not over the top.

Tips for longer lasting, looks amazing in photos makeup:

• Prime, Prime and Prime.  A skin primer is mandatory for helping makeup last through all the booty shaking and fist pumping. Primer acts as a barrier between your skin and the actual makeup. It’s the glue that helps it adhere to the skin.
• Set and Forget. Setting your makeup with a transluscent powder is another mandatory step that helps lock in your foundation. Use a large fluffy brush and a rolling motion, pushing the powder into the skin.
• Waterproof mascara. Use it! It adheres better, smudges less and over all lasts longer.
• Make sure you face matches your chest, not neck. Everyone’s neck is slightly lighter than the rest of them. Match the foundation to the chest. Don’t you hate seeing a photo where everyone’s faces are a shade lighter? Drives me crazy!
• Less can be more, but in this case more is better! Traditional makeup (ie. cream and liquid foundations) heat up with your body temperature and melt off the skin.  Notice by lunch time most of your makeup is gone… You need a little bit more for long lasting special events. My rule of thumb is to be a little uncomfortable with the amount of makeup you wear for a special event look. Makeup fades down with in the first 2 hours, realize this and compensate for it. Be a little uncomfortable but still feel pretty…You’re shooting for pretty not trashy, so just a little more than normal.
• Judge your makeup at a distance. Cameras are always taking pictures from a distance. No one is zooming in on your face. Stand back and evaluate. Makeup will always seem more up close and is not accurate of what others are seeing.
• False lashes are highly recommended. They really can open up the eyes, and enhances the eye shape. Shoot for natural looking falsies, not so long that they are hitting your eyebrow. yuck.
• Most IMPORTANTLY: If you aren’t “feeling” the way you look, it will show up in your pictures, and you’ll end up not liking them. So even if I say less is more, if you don’t think so. Then do what you feel looks best. Makeup should enhance, not detract.

I always tell my clients to stand back and judge special event makeup through a lense. Take some photos at a distance and see what the camera sees, then evaluate.  My model from the other day did just that, and loves her pictures! What the most important thing is to “feel pretty” and to feel like you still look like yourself!  

ps. I highly recommend airbrush makeup for long lasting special events, such as weddings. The longevity of airbrush cannot be compared to traditional makeup!